No matter how advanced technology becomes, there will always be things best left to meaty little human hands. Tasks that require a dash of imperfection, like tossing pizza dough in the air, scattering pepperoni pieces with intuition over mathematical precision, and creating the most enduring, compelling pieces of art, those works flecked with human foibles and ingenuity and heartbreak and triumph. Miraculous, flawed, and flexible, our weird little digits can concoct things no machine could imagine.
Such is certainly the case with the Cevallos bros, a pair of custom sign makers from New York City. For decades the Cevallos have used their hands (along with paper, sharpies, and acrylic paints) to create posters that brighten the facades and inform the clientele of restaurants, food trucks, bars, and bodegas across every borough—including many a pizza joint.
And just like a slice straight from the oven, the Cevallos’ work is warm and inviting, combining the solid framework of brother Miguel’s linework, lettering, and layout with brother Carlos’ expressive eye for color.
Don’t let their somber suits and stoic expressions deceive you: the Cevallos’ work is as bold and arresting as a razor-sharp Manchego. And just like the zesty blue veins lacing a punchy gorgonzola, each Cevallos posters is shot through with childlike playfulness and whimsical details like a stuntman soaring over a steaming cup of coffee on his dirtbike, a fireman dousing a scalding hot bagel, or a burrito puking a rainbow over Rockaway Beach. Whether it’s proclaiming a pizza parlour, yoga studio, or Halloween party, the Cevallos make sure to sprinkle their own creative twists into every poster, like so many discs of delicious pepperoni.
Born in Ecuador and raised in Colombia, the brothers, now both in their 80s, honed their skills sketching caricatures of tourists and drawing posters for businesses and events across South America before bringing their talents to NYC.
For decades their work rarely wandered beyond the boroughs. But upon joining Instagram in 2019, assisted by a younger, more tech-savvy collaborator, they finally achieved much-deserved international recognition. Today they fulfill commissions as distant as Spain, Korea, and Russia (with a waitlist and three-week turnaround per project). But no matter the final destination, their untouchable style remains the same.
A Cevallos Bros poster is much like the NYC street slice, something they’ve often advertised. They strike the same sweet (or in this case, savory) spot of unpretentious perfection, a few solid ingredients tossed together to create something transcendent. It’s street level art meant to be enjoyed at street level.
Each poster is a window into a community, a glimpse into the places people gather, nourish themselves, and celebrate. It only makes sense then that the posters themselves feel like a celebration, a visual manifestation of the things, like the melted cheese that unites the toppings of a pizza, that bind communities together.